J. Donald Oakes’ book The Stump’s On Fire And I’m Naked is an inspiring and mesmerizing account of his struggles through a childhood of unspeakable poverty and emotional trauma, wrapped in adult situations and dark secrets. Never losing faith that there was “something better out there” Oakes perseveres for education and eventually escapes his life of poverty as an Alabama sharecropper/moon-shiner’s son by joining the Air Force and is assigned to Intelligence duties. On the other side of the world, Oakes realizes he carries emotional scars from his childhood as he searches for love and normalcy. While successfully ‘climbing the corporate ladder’, supporting his family, and striving for the ‘American Dream’, he is plagued by tormenting nightmares, anger, and illnesses; both physical and emotional. Oakes suffers a nervous breakdown at age forty and is finally forced to confront the demons of his childhood face to face in order to survive. A ‘must read’, this poignant and inspirational autobiography is a result of years spent in therapy from which Oakes has successfully emerged. This book reads like a novel with its unforgettable characters and first-hand descriptions of life in rural Alabama. Vivid, explicitly written scenes denote this a book to be enjoyed by mature readers.

J. Donald Oakes welcomes the opportunity to share his incredible survival story that is a captivating example of the incredible power of the human spirit.  He has already touched countless lives giving people hope for themselves.

Oakes is currently writing the sequel to his book and expects it to be published during 2005. In his spare time he enjoys gardening, photography, and fly-fishing around his home in the pristine North Georgia Mountains. He also enjoys spending time with his daughters and grandchildren. Kelly is his 13-year-old granddaughter, Dobbs is his 18-month-old grandson and Kayanna is his newly born granddaughter and the sister of Dobbs.